I am so grateful to Senators Feinstein and Boxer for quickly attacking Governor’s Schwarzenegger’s plan to get increased federal aid. They killed it; it is dead. My concern was that the entire special session on the budget would be spent wasting time asking our federal representatives for help. Now that will not be necessary. The Governor proposed a Plan B if the federal aid did not appear, and it is now time to implement Plan B. It entails a great dismantling of the welfare state and would actually balance the state’s budget by real, permanent cuts in spending.

Feinstein and Boxer declared that California made its own troubles while totally ignoring their own poor immigration policy and the numerous federal mandates they created. I would be curious to know what they think the California trouble is. Do they support cutting excessive spending? Or do they think that California taxes are not yet high enough?

In any event, thanks for such a speedy response so that the Governor can now focus on cutting spending.… Read More

We talk about how 2010 is going to be the "It Year" for politics — and it’s already started. Between the policy changes facing Sacramento including a projected $20 billion shortfall (and those predictions always seem to be low), and what will be a staggering year for politics – what, with Gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and down ticket races, and an expectation of a few thousand ballot measures qualifying for November, there will be no shortage of material to write about here on FR.

But not to be missed as a critical happening in 2010 will be the outcome of legislative elections up and down California. Right now Democrats enjoy a 25-15 majority in the Senate, just two shy of the 2/3 vote necessary to pass taxes increases, and in the Assembly Democrats sit at 51 seats, just three shy of the 2/3 mark.

There is no doubt that Senate President Darrell Steinberg, and Assembly Speakers Bass and Perez, along with their public employee union allies will be working overtime to try and pick up those five critical seats.

… Read More

This just in from conservative Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich…

Governor’s Budget Rearranges Deck Chairs On The Titanic Michael D. Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor Without structural reform to fix California’s broken budget system, this budget is a mix of tax schemes and band aids that only delays the inevitable. Our state currently has some of the highest gasoline, sales… Read More

We received this short testimonial from Assemblywoman Connie Conway in support of her chosen candidate for Governor of California, Meg Whitman… We Need Proven Results Assemblywoman Connie Conway The new year has brought new encouragement to me: We can get California back on track. Our challenges are immense, our budget deficit is jaw-dropping and our red tape is out of control. But as I listened to the State of the State address last week, I heard a clear and prudent message. Republicans are going… Read More

The whole issue of providing water stations or at least strategically placed water bottles in the desert for illegal border crossers from Mexico is an interesting dichotomy. Some view the effort as akin to abetting an illegal activity, others as simply keeping people from dying from dehydration in the hot and rough terrain north of the border.

Realistically, it’s a bit of both.

Many are more focused on what they view as the compassion side of the question than they are the unlawful activity. Former Congressman Duncan L. Hunter, he and his family certainly not known for a stance in support of open borders, even has a brother involved in providing water for border crossers. John Hunter is often quoted in news stories on the issue.

Similar to debates over needle exchange programs — philosophically, at least — it’s no different than apologizing for any illegal activity within the context of "settling" for what many believe will take place anyway, like it or not. The message seems to be clear:People will break the law in a particular arena, so as long as they will be doing so, they might as well not die in the… Read More

Looking at it broadly, I think that the budget proposed by the Governor starts off the negotiating process from the right spot — which is with the premise that California taxpayers should not be punitively taxed to make up the budget shortfall. There are a lot of innovative solutions being proposed which is critical given the funding shortfall. This proposal recognizes that that the long term health of state government depends on an economic recovery.

With concern for the taxpayer being the top priority, there are concerns about the return of the tax on homeowners insurance, counting on new revenue from red light cameras, and the myriad of proposed "revenue increases" that appear on a list to potentially implement if the federal government does not kick in requested funds to balance the budget.

It is my hope that GOP lawmakers make it clear pretty quickly that the Governor is right when he says we need to live within our means, and that new taxes and fees (aka: "revenue increases") are not on the table, period.… Read More

STATEMENT FROM SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER DENNIS HOLLINGSWORTH Senate Republicans are glad to see Governor Schwarzenegger’s commitment to not raise taxes again and his focus on job creation and beginning the process of eliminating job killing regulations,” said Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth. “While this budget involves tough choices, that’s no different than the tough choices every California family has to make in these difficult economic times. Controlling spending and not raising taxes have to be our top priorities in order to get California back on the right track- this budget is a good start. STATEMENT FROM ASSEMBLY BUDGET VICE-CHAIRMAN JIM NIELSEN The Governor’s budget proposal is an important starting point for what will be a year of very difficult… Read More

Dr. John Eastman is one of the preeminent legal minds and constitutional law experts of our time.

He currently serves as the Dean of the Chapman University College of Law (were he has been lauded for his job performance), but his curriculum vitae is much deeper than that. Dr. Eastman served as Director for the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, which is affiliated with the Claremont Institute.

Eastman is a national leader within the Federalist Society and served as a law clerk with Justice Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court of the United States and with Judge J. Michael Luttig at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Dr. Eastman practiced with the national law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, specializing in major civil and constitutional litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. Dr. Eastman earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, where he graduated with high honors in 1995. Dr. Eastman also has a Ph.D.… Read More